Grid-making machine



Patented June 3,1919.

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I l Il am .M El Nl .m7 UNCH EAM YM O D G CNM nmrr. SAN IMO H vnl... mA Rc GU DI DI A H. S. CGYER.

GRID MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7| 1918.

1,305,690. I Patented June 3, 1919.

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, /fxm H. S. COYER. GRID MAKINGWIACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, IBIS.

Patented June 3, 1919.

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UNITED STATES YPATEN T OFFICE.

HENRY SYLVESTER COYER, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO DE FOREST RADIO TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH coMPANY,.,oF NEW YORK,

OF DELAWARE.

N. Y., A CORPORATION GRID-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed May 7, 1918.

To n?! lello/rt t mf/g/ concern.'

Be ity known that I. I'Inxnv S. Covina, a citizen of the Fnited States. residing at New York. in the county and State ot' New York, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Grid-Making Machines,.ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grid making` machilies.

The object of the invention is to provide a grid making machine which is simple in structure, ettcient in operation, and economical of manufacture. l

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for automatically winding` a wire around two separated supporting posts'.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine ot' the character described which will weld the wire on each ot the supporting posts coincidently with winding the same thereon.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location. and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyv hereinafter set forth as shown by the accon'ipanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a view in t'ront elevation ot' a grid making" machine embodying my invention. y

Fig'. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2, Q Fig. l, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig'. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3, 3, Fig. 1, and looking vin the direction ot' the arrows.

' Fig. 4f is a top plan view ot thc construction shown in Fig'. l.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing wiring connections employed in accordance with luy invention.

Fig. is an enlarged detail view partly in section ol2 the welding mechanism employed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on the line 7, 7Fig. looking in the direction ot the arrows.

Fig. S is a detail view ot' the product secured in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 9 is a. similar view ot' one type' o'f product now in commercial use.

Specification of Letters Patent.

`Patented June 3, 1919.

Serial No. 233,004.

The same part is designated by the same reference character wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

It is among the'special purposes ot' my present invention to provide a machine which will torni a grid shaped member coinposed of a continuous wire wound around at a constant pitch to spaced supporting bars of any7 desired length. In accordance with my invention to render the grid structure a permanent one I also provide means for automatically welding` the wire to the respective supports around which the same is wound where the wire comes in contact therewith. Thus it will be seen that I am enabled to produce a rigid strong grid structure which is permanent in the rest of the position of the wire which forms the grid structure, thereby securingl a strong efficient grid structure suitable for all classes of work where a grid structure possessing these characteristics is desired. The fact that each turn ot' the wire is welded to the respective supporting arms at the points ot contact therewith makes the grid structureI ot' my invention particularly adaptable for use in electrical work. for example, as the grid electrode otI the well known De Forest audion. and while for the purpose ot' an illustration otl a specific use of a grid structure embodying my invention I shov;v in Fig. i) such a grid electrode ot' an audion capable ot application in an audion bulb structure. I wish it to be understood that I do :rot dcsire to be limited or restricted to this specitic use which the product ot my invention is especially adapted for. nor do I wish it to be understood that my machine is to be used solely and exclusively' t'or the purpose ot' production ot grid electrodes.

Referring to the drawings: I show at l a base provided with a ljournal 2 and 3 at its respective ends.V the journal 2 is provided with an interiorlj.' threaded passage through which a threaded member l passes actuated .in any suitable manner. tor example. by

The l)ournal Il mayY hereinafter set forth. The base 1 also carries a vertical supporting member 8, the top` manner, for example, by means of the spring arrangement indicated ,generally at 11. Thus an upward pressure on the roller 10 will cause the roller 1,0 to move upwardly against the action of the springdevice 11, and when the upward pressureJ on the roller `.10 is removed the roller will assume its nor-` mal position. The vertical support 8 also carries at its top circuit terminals 12 and 13, and on one side thereof separate circuit terminals 14 and 15, which terminals 14 and 15 are in the form .of contacts or brushes, as will be more fully hereinafter described. The

opposite sides of the verticalsupport 8 have secured thereto guide arms 16 and 17 to form a`channel through which a roller indicated generally at 18 rotates. The roller 18- is ofany suitable material, preferably non-oonductingvwith a conducting plate 19 adjustably secured thereto by means of set screws 2() restingTin slots 21 cut in the conducting ,plate roller 18 visprovidedwith two current con-` ducting strips 22 located diametrically op,-

Aposite each other and so arrangedthatthe rotation ofthe roller 18 will cause one 'of the bridgin contacts 221to establish circuit connection etweenl the terminal brushes 14, 15, for each half revolution of the roller 18. The roller 18 is also provided with radially extending lugs- 23 located diametrlcally o pposite to each other' as shown. These diametricallyoppositely located lugs as sho-wn best in Fig. 6 are in the form of elongated pins extending through a groove or hole providedtherefor in the body of the roller 18, and are provided at their innermost ends with what I will term a welding head 24. The -plate 19 and the roller 18 arel provided with a rectilinear slot 25 passing through the center thereof with the longitudinal axis ofthe slot forming a continuation of thelonl gitudinal axes of the lugs 23. The respective ends of the shafts 4 and 6. hereinbefore `described are provided with notches with'.

which to engage the ends of a rectangularly shaped supporting bar 28, the opposite edges of which bar are provided with grooves within which to receive small bar members 29 of any desired or suitable length. This bar 2S with its bar members 29 positioned thereon as indicated in the drawings, particularly in Figs. 1 and 7, passes through the longitudinal slot 25 in the roller 18 and its plate 19 and formsa bearing lfor the same so that the roller 18 will rotate with the bar 28 about the axis of the bar, as will readily be apparhe opposite side off theent. In addition to the guide members 16 and 17 carried by vertical support 8 a guide formed by angle strips indicated at 30 may be also provided fory the bottom'of the roller 18, which angle strips are'supported by the base 1 as clearly shown.` The pins or lugs 23 are movable in the bore provided therefor in the roller 18 and are of such length that when the free end of one of the .lugs or pins 23 is positioned vertically extending radially upward the welding hedy 24 of the opposite pin or lug 23 will be out of contact with the lower end ofthe bar member 28 and its small rod 29 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. One face of the `Vertical support 8 is also, provided with an arm v38 which forms a' guide for a wire 40dwhich is delivered thereto from any suitable source such as anv endless spool or the like, not shown'. v

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings whereq in isshown the electrical circuit of the machine diagrammatically laid out in connection: with certain part-s of the machine current is tapped from the source of supply indicatedzat 50.- a'nd controlled as is usual vby means` ,ofthe switch 51, one terminal of which is,l connected to one end of the prir 52-.ofythel transformer, the other oil-'5fbeing connected tothe contacting brush"14jcarried on the -roller 1'8. The opposite'terminal of the source 50, or the "switch 51,- asthe case may be, is'con- -nected to the contactingbrush or terminal 15; Thus it will beseen that o'n each h alf revolution of the roller` 18 a bridging con-- ductor 22 will momentarily establish circuit connection between brushes 14 andfl there,-

by completing the circuit between primary vation of the device -will be readily understood and is as follows z-The handle 5 -is rotated causing the shaft 4 to move according tothe pitch of the threads thereof in its Journal 2, the wire 40, of course, having been secured to the bar 28, and it being assumed that the bar 28 with its rods 29 located 1n the oppositely located groove .of the bar has been assembled in the respective ends of the shafts 4 and 6 as hereinbefore described and passing through the center of the roller 18. It will be seen that the bar 28 being rotated and moving toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 1 the distance of the thread of the shaft 4 Will vwhere the same lies over the rod 29.

have `wound therearound the wire 40 at a constant pitch. When, however, the ,slot'25 in the roller 18 has reached its vertical position the pin or lug 23 comes in contact with the roller 10 forcing the same upwardly against its spring action `normally' tending to cause the same to remain in its normal downward position, that is,I in normal contact with the periphery of the roller 18 as shown in Fig. 3. This causes the pin 23 to be forced downwardly with the welding head 24 pressed against the wire 40 At the same time a bridging contactor 22 establishes communication between the ltwo brushes 14 and 15 thereby completing the circuit f the primary coil 52 of the transformer, linducing current in the secondary coil 53 of the transformer, which current flows through the roller 10 down the pin 23 to the welding head 24 through the wire 40,

.rod 29, bar 28, to either or both of the journals 2 0r 3 to the opposite side of the secondary coil 53 of the transformer. Thus it will be seen the welding circuit has been completed, and the necessary pressure for a proper Welding has been secured by means of the spring 9 and roller 10. 1t will be apparent that this operation is repeated for `each half revolution of the roller 18 throughout the ylength of the bar 28 and rods 29 employed. It will be apparent that by merely changing the pitch of the lteeth of.

the shaft 4 any desired pitch of grid structure will beobtained. As soon as the entire feed has been completed either one or both lofl the shafts 4 or 6 may be retracted and the bar 28 with its grid structure thereon removed whereupon the grid structure itself may be readily slipped from over the bar 28 and a complete grid structure of any suitable or desired length is secu`red,'wl'1ich grid structurey may be cut up into any required or desired lengths. It is also apparent that while have shown either one or both of the shafts 4 and 6 as provided with a handle for hand operation that the same may be actuated from any suitable power Y source, and inasmuch as the operation of the device depends entirely upon completion of the electric circuit simultaneously secured at a predetermined position of the roller 18, it is obvious that constant speed of rotation of either shaft 4 or 6, or both of them, is not essential. Many other changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, and in consequence I do not desire to be limited or restricted to any specific, detail or construction herein de-l scribed, as the same has been employed solely for the purpose of illustration of the principles of my invention, thereforelhaving set forth. the objects and nature of my inventionfand having shown andydescribed one structure embodying the, principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Lettersv Patent, is

l. In a machine of the character described, means for winding a wire around l around said spaced supports, andmeans for simultaneously welding said wire to. said supports.

et. The combination with a support, means for winding a wire around said support, and means forsimultaneously welding said wire to said support. y

5. The combination with a support, means for feeding a wire to said support, means for rotating said support and simultaneously advancing the same in one direction whereby said wire is wound therearound at a constant pitch, and means for welding said wire to said support.

6. The combination with a support, means for feeding a wire to said support, means for rotatingl said support and simultaneously advancing the same in one direction where- 'by said wire is wound therearound at a constant pitch, and means for simultaneously welding said wire to said support.

7. The combination with spaced supports, and means for supporting the same, means for rotating said spaced supports as a unit and simultaneously advancing the same, means for feeding a wire to said spaced supports ywhereby when said spaced supports are rotated as a unit and advanced, said wire winds therearound, and means controlled by the rotation of said supports for weldin said wire thereto.

8. e combination with a wire Winding device, of a welding device, and means controlled by said wire winding device for operating said welding device.

9.- The combination with a wire winding y device, of an electric welding device, an electric circuit for said weldin device, and

means controlled by said winding device,

ioo

ing device for momentarily closing said circuit and again openingy the same.

l2. The combination Withv a Welding device, of a Wire Winding device, and means actuated by said Wire Winding device for actuating said Welding vdevice at predeter* mined intervals.

13. The combination With an electric Welding device, and a normally open circuit therefor, of a Wire Winding device, and means actuated by said Wire Winding device .for momentarily closing said circuit at predetermined intervals.

l4. The combination vvithy spaced journa1s,of means for supporting therebetween spaced supports, means for rotating said spaced supports and simultaneously moving the same longitudinally, a plate mounted around said supports to rotate therewith,

means vfor feeding Wire to said supports wherebyy upon the rotation and longitudinal movement thereof'said Wire is Wound therearound, and means actuated by the rotation of said plate for subjecting said Wire at the point of contact With said supports to pressure and heat.

15. In avdevice of the character described, and in combination with a Wire Winding device, of a Welding device including a normally open circuit-ed primary coil and a normally open circuited secondary coil, and means controlled by the operation of said Wire Winding device for momentarilyclosing the circuit of both of said coils.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 30th day of April, A. D., 1918.

HENRY SYLVESTER COYER. 

